#Review of Sheik’s Rule by Ryshia Kennie! @ryshiakennie

He’s an investigator on a mission, but it’s impossible to ignore the brilliant woman helping him complete it…

His sister’s life is at stake, and despite his wealth and power, Sheik Emir Al-Nassar feels helpless. At least heading his family’s security agency provides him with resources to track down her kidnappers. But when the ace profiler he’s sent turns out to be K. J.—Kate—Gelinsky, Emir is furious. Finding the kidnappers’ desert hideout is dangerous enough without the distraction of a beautiful woman.

But K.J. is unlike any woman he’s ever known. Her fearlessness and incisive mind inspires Emir’s admiration. And her compassion breaches his guarded heart. Still, rescuing his sister is a perilous mission. And allowing desire to cloud his focus could endanger them all.

Excerpt from Sheik’s Rule:

“You’re the new agent?” he asked, the words heavy with disbelief. “You’re the one Adam recommended?”

“Yes,” she said brightly. “I’m K.J.—”

“This won’t work,” he said. His thoughts were clouded with anger at the thought of what Adam had done, of how much time might be wasted, and of Tara whose life would be fur- ther endangered now that there was no help forthcoming.

Her wide, smoky-blue eyes narrowed. “By ‘this,’” she said slowly, “you mean me?” She took a step forward. Now she was in his face.

He frowned. If she were a man that would have been a mistake. But she was no man.

“That’s what you were meaning, wasn’t it?

I’m not a man so…” She let the remainder of the sentence hang.

He paused long enough to take a breath to control the anger that made him want to lash out at someone, anyone. “You need to get on the first flight home,” he said through clenched teeth.

“Give me a chance.” There was no hesitation in her voice or in her stance as she faced off with him, her head up, her eyes sparking as if enjoying the challenge.

“It’s not me that’s the problem or needs to give you a chance,” he said. All he could feel was the pressure of an invisible clock ticking and the betrayal of a friend thousands of miles away. Adam knew the customs, the inherent sexism that still wove through the ancient tra- ditions of the desert tribes. He knew it all and, still, he had sent her.

“I know,” she interjected. “It’s the customs, the tribes outside the city, the—”

“It won’t work,” he interrupted, thinking of the desert and where he suspected Tara’s kidnappers were hiding. He’d always been an equal opportunity employer and supported his sister, Tara, in her fight for change. It was a man’s world. It didn’t matter how much he disliked the fact, it was a truth that, for now, wouldn’t change.

“Look, I know what I’m getting into. I’m qualified,” she said, her bag swinging from her shoulder, her eyes bright with passion. “I specialized in Middle Eastern studies—an exchange student.” She waved one delicate, well- manicured hand at him.

Just looking at that hand confirmed every doubt he had. It wasn’t just about customs, she was female and because of that and so many other things, she was the wrong person for the job.

“I’ll help you find your sister. You just need to trust me.”

“No!” The word came out with all the pent- up fury that had built since the fateful call from Tara’s kidnappers and now the full im- pact of it sparked in his eyes as his temple pounded and his fists clenched.

“No,” he said with less edge but with no room for negotiation. He was wasting time, had wasted time, first waiting and now in a senseless airport run. “I don’t care what you specialized in. You’re a woman and because of that you’re going home,” he said bluntly. “I’ve wasted enough time. I’ll speak to the pilot and we’ll get you out of here.”

“You’re not being fair.”

“I’m not being fair,” he repeated, emphasizing each word. If she’d been a man he would have had her by the collar up against the wall, his face in hers. But she wasn’t and that was the problem. “You’re useless to me. I’d have to watch out for both you and me. That’s a distraction. Look at you—you couldn’t swing a punch or…”

One minute he was seething, glaring at her, and the next he was flat on his back.

“You bloody flipped me,” he snarled, leaping to his feet.

Okay, let’s just look at the cover. Feel free to lick your screens. I have. Don’t judge. I’ll let you in a dirty little secret of mine. Sheiks are my catnip. I discovered them years ago through Harlequin Presents and I devour them at every chance I can. There is something about the total alphaness about them. Normally, I don’t like the alpha hole but with sheik’s…I’m hooked. They bark, don’t bite too hard and are totally devoted to their family and the women that they love. *swoon*

When Ms. Kennie sent me an email to see if I would review this series, I jumped. Another dirty little secret, Harlequin Intrigue is my all time favorite line from them. I have no shame. I admit it and I own it. So that said, put sheiks and Intrigue together and I’m a goner. Why did I absolutely love this book? First off, Emir. Go back and lick the cover; I’ll wait. Secondly, his total devotion to his family. Third, that Kate literally throws him on his butt at the airport. Adam knew what he was doing by sending her to help. He He! Fourth, that growing up in two different worlds, he didn’t know how to handle Kate in the beginning and also to keep it together when it came to his sister, Tara.

Let’s talk about Kate. We don’t much of her background but I loved what I saw. I hope in future books, we get a glimpse at her again. I see her still working for the security firm and being a really good friend of Tara’s. But what made her special to me was the fact that she understood Emir’s culture and respected it. She didn’t feel the need to butt in when it wasn’t warranted but got the needed information when she needed. Plus, she is the calm in Emir’s world. He knew it and his brothers knew it, too. I loved the line that Zalib (I think) said, “Father fell in love with mother in less than 24 hours.”

Now to the intriguing part…I never saw it coming. I thought that Ms. Kennie did an excellent job of putting two different plot points together and letting it play out. The villain is creepy and so mental that at one point I really thought Tara was not going to make it. She is one tough cookie and I can’t wait to get to know her better in the other books. Ms. Kennie takes her time with suspense plot but also brings a newness too. Gun fights! Oh my…loved it.

If you are looking for a new writer, love mystery/suspense, a sheik that is lovable and intense, a heroine that doesn’t hold and is smart then this book is for you. I can’t wait to read the other brothers books. And of course, that means more covers to lick. Your welcome. 😉

For the reviewFor the cover

Ryshia Kennie is the award-winning author of her city’s writing award and a semi-finalist in the Kindle Book Awards. There’s never a lack of places to set an edge-of-the-seat suspense as prairie winters find her dreaming of warmer places for heart-stopping stories. Settings with deadly villains threatening intrepid heroes and heroines, who battle for their right to live or even to love, in a place that neither – or both, may call home. www.ryshiakennie.com